Lesson
by suzubell-chan
Summary: Carlos doesn't know how to dance and Carmen shows him how Takes place long before events of the movie.


I wrote this for a prompt on tumblr so I'm going to post it here. Any mistakes-especially the Spanish-are my own.

* * *

Lesson

* * *

Carlos continued down the street, head held low and shoulders hunched over, trying to forget events he saw before.

There was a big party at the Mondragon Manor to celebrate Joaquin's promotion sergeant to first sergeant. Naturally everyone in town was invited with a surprise visit from one of the most popular bands from the capital-starring Carmen Rivera.

The love of Carlos Sanchez's life, as well as Joaquin Mondragon's.

Whenever she wasn't standing in the spotlight, singing her heart out, she was mingling with crowd chatting and laughing a mile a minute or dancing to the music-especially in the arms of Joaquin. She seemed so happy, shuffling and spinning around the larger man, letting him dip and twirl around-with the crowd cheering for more. Occasionally, she would glance over at Carlos. The happiness in her eyes stabbed him through the heart, and so he left the party.

Before he knew it, the Sanchez was back home, ready to drown his sorrows in drink and sweets, when a light appeared from a window nearby the door, now swung open revealing Luis Sanchez. "_Hola mijo_!"

The young matador groaned, he forgot his father had a match tomorrow morning and thus didn't go to the party. He sighed and stepped into his home, noticing his grandmother, knitting as always. She never went to "flashy affairs" as she called them and suffered from insomnia, so of course she was up as well.

"Carlos, why are you home so early?" the father asked. "You said you were going to party till the break of dawn."

"It wasn't as much fun as I thought it would be..." the young adult mumbled, helping him to a bottle and pouring himself to a drink.

"_Mijo_ what's wrong you look like just got hit by a bull!" The middle aged man commented.

"Or something worse, is it troubles of the heart?" The eldest Sanchez asked.

Carlos's drink erupted from is mouth, "W...What are you t..talking about?!" he sputtered.

Anita Sanchez chuckled softly, "That's the same look your father gave when your mother turned your father down and slammed the door on his face."

"Don't you mean in?" the grandson asked, opening a jar and pulling out a sweet and popped it into his mother.

"No, on. Took me all night to pull out all those splinters from his nose." The grandmother stated bluntly, going back to her knitting.

"Yeah, thanks for reminding me Mama," Luis chuckled as he rubbed his nose. "So tell us, son, what pretty senorita got you down?"

"It has to be that Carmen girl." Anita stated in a sing-song tone.

The young bullfighter started choke on a treat, coughing out the words, "H...How do you know about C...Carmen?"

"She's the girl on that poster in your room you keep staring at." The woman admitted.

"Oh that's the one! Tell me, is that poster different than the one in the arena?" The middle aged sanchez asked. "He always seems to be showing off in front of it."

The youngest Sanchez groaned, he didn't know how this night could get any worse when...

_***KNOCK KNOCK***_

"I'll get it," Luis declared, heading for the door. When he opened it, he declared, "You must be Carmen! You know, your poster doesn't do you justice!"

Carlos shot up and looked at the door way, spotting he singer. He dashed over to get in front of his father. "_Hola Señorita_ Rivera." the young matador quickly said. "Please excuse my father, I've been telling him to cut down to two bulls at once, but at his age he won't listen."

"Hey what do you mean my age?!" the father roared.

"You've got a match tomorrow, shouldn't you be asleep? _Buenas Noches_ Papa." Carlos stated before shutting the door behind him.

"Hey Carmen, don't be a stranger! We like to see in the flesh more often!" Luis yelled.

_**"GOOD NIGHT PAPA!" **_Carlos roared back.

Steam rose from the young man's head as he looked at the woman in front of him, holding back her laughter.

"What are you doing here? I thought you would be at the party." the young Sanchez admitted.

"Well Joaquin started bragging about his medals, so I thought I would have a few hours to get away. It was getting kinda stuffy in there." the woman shrugged.

"But why come here?" he asked.

"Well, I came here to see you."

"Huh?"

"I came all the way to your hometown and you don't even say hello or come up and dance with me?" Her hands on her hips, "Honestly!"

"Well, you were dancing with Joaquin all the time or singing or chatting. I thought you were busy besides...I don't really know how to dance..."

"Is that so? Then let me teach you."

"How? I mean with no music so..."

Suddenly a soft, slow tune started. The couple turned towards the window, now open and a phonograph revealed, as well as Anita Sanchez, smiling at the two.

"Take care _senorita_, that's my only grandson! I don't what Id do if he died from a broken heart!" She teased.

_**"ABUELA!" **_the young _toreo_ pratically whined.

The elderly woman snickered as she hobbled away, turning the light out. Carlos looked so red, he glowed.

"Well there's the music so let's get this lesson started shall we?" the singer offered, taking a hand and dragging him out to the empty street.

"This hand stays right here," she motioned to the hands holding each other in the air.

"Okay," he stated, staring at them for a second until his other hand was in her own.

"This hand goes right here." She stated, placing it right above her hip.

"Oh." Carlos blushed and turned his head.

The hand near her hip left to turn his face towards him, "And eyes here." she smiled, placing the hand on the shoulder.

"A...Alright."

"Now follow my lead."

She took a step to the left, he followed. When she stepped back, he glanced down at their feet and stepped forward. Carlos found his chin in her hand.

"Na ah ah. Eyes on me."

"But..."

"I'll be fine. I've had more feet step on my toes then I can count. Just keep doing as I do."

The Sanchez continued to follow the Rivera's steps until he could lead in the steady rhythm. Even long after the record stopped, the couple continued to dance. As time slipped by, heir bodies slipped closer together. One of his arms now completely wrapped around her waist, her head now on his chest.

"Well, for someone whose doesn't know how to dance, you sure do learn fast."

"What about all the twirling and dipping you did with Joaquin?"

"That's another lesson for another day, besides all stuff that makes me dizzy." She snuggled against the chest. "I like this kind of dancing better."

After loudly gulping, he slowly placed his chin on her head. "Yeah me too..."

* * *

"Carlos? Carlos?"

Carlos shook himself and blinked, the Land of the Remembered out before him in all its glory as he sat on a bench. His wife, beautiful beloved Carmen, was beside him.

"I'm sorry _mi amor_. I guess I must have drifted off."  
"It's a lot to take in, but you'll get used to it." she sighed and set her head on his shoulder.

He looked at his wife and after a few moments the man stated, "You know its been a very long time since we've danced."

"Aw Carlos, I thought you would never ask!"

She quickly pulled her husband up, holding both his hands.

"Though its been a long time, I could use another lesson. Remind me," the husband started. One hand wrapped around her waist, pulling her close. The another slipped into the brown locks, leaning them close to his chest. "This is were my hands go right?"

_"¡Perfecto!"_ the wife chuckled, resting her head on his chest. Her hand held another part of his shirt.

The Land of Remembered continued to glow as the couple slowly danced to their own music.


End file.
